Study on the effects of the processing parameters on the single tracks and the block support structures fabricated by selective laser melting

In order to prevent the deformation of the part, enhance heat conduction, and establish a stable foundation, additional support structures are typically incorporated beneath the parts during the selective laser melting (SLM) process. These structures are subsequently eliminated once the SLM process is completed, thereby facilitating the attainment of near-net forming. Therefore, their SLM processing parameters should be different from those of the solid parts to obtain the desirable functions and removability. However, there is so far very little research focusing on the optimization of the SLM processing parameters of the support structures compared with the solid objects. In this work, the widely used block support was illustrated as an instance, and an optimization strategy of its SLM processing parameters was provided. The effects of laser power, scanning speed, and layer thickness on the morphology and qualities of single track, support sample, and support tensile sample were systematically investigated. The results showed that the SLM processing parameters have a significant impact on the properties of the block support by regulating the qualities of the single tracks. At last, a group of optimal SLM processing parameters (80 W of laser power, 400 mm/s of scanning speed, 60 μm of layer thickness) was determined for the Ti-6Al-4V titanium alloy, and the corresponding ultimate tensile strength of the support structure reached 416 MPa.